ZANU PF has dismissed as a "non-event" Monday’s lifting of most European Union sanctions against 81 allies party and government officials.

"We dismiss that process as a non-event. We are not looking for a partial removal of names from the list,” party spokesman, Rugare Gumbo, said.

“We are looking for the total and unequivocal lifting of sanctions which were not justified in the first place."

"There is no reason why some should be removed from the list while some remain. There is nothing we have done to deserve these illegal sanctions anyway.”

The 27-nation EU grouping on Monday suspended most of its sanctions against a list of 91 people after a "peaceful, successful and credible" referendum on a new constitution earlier this month.

The referendum is set to pave the way to crucial elections later this year.

The European bloc conceded that a referendum vote on March 16 on a new constitution was "credible" and reflected the free will of about 3 million voters who cast their ballots and overwhelmingly accepted the reformed constitution, EU spokesman Carl Skau.

The bloc also suspended measures against eight of 10 firms or entities.

Mugabe, 89, remained among 10 Zimbabweans who include military, police and security chiefs, still targeted by the bloc's travel ban and assets freeze, a European diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"We are not going to rest until all sanctions against Zimbabweans are lifted," said Gumbo.

The EU imposed the sanctions following presidential polls in 2002 which Western observers said were rigged to hand Mugabe victory.

Zanu PF however says the sanctions were imposed to punish Zimbabwe for its land reforms and blames them for teh country's economic problems.